Call tool 2.0

As the program manager for the barackobama.com call tool, I spend my days thinking about how we can better use technology to empower volunteers, connect with voters, and build this campaign.

The call tool is already changing what it means to volunteer—allowing anyone, anywhere, to pitch in. And now, we’ve updated call.barackobama.com with a fresh look and a couple of key new features to make each user’s experience more enjoyable and effective.

With the launch of the new call tool, supporters can choose from a variety of different types of calls. All you need is an internet connection and a telephone—the call tool provides you with the name and phone number of one of your neighbors and an easy-to-follow script with specific talking points and questions. For example, right now volunteers could choose to call voters in their area about tax equality and President Obama’s Buffett Rule, or to call women about the benefits of the Affordable Care Act.

As the call tool continues to grow and develop, many more varieties of calls will be available—because every volunteer should have the opportunity to talk about what they are knowledgeable and passionate about. And because community organizing at the local level is the core of this campaign, the call tool is tailored to local needs and specific issues, so that online volunteers can be just as effective as the staff and volunteers in the office. This tool lets you engage with the campaign from your dining room table—so you don’t have to be within driving distance of a field office to get involved.

The call tool is a prime example of how many different teams, from field to digital to technology, come together to support this campaign’s grassroots volunteers—and that’s what I love about my job most. Give it a try today.